Wharton MBA Deadlines, Essays & Analysis (Class of 2012, Starting Fall 2010)
DEADLINES [table id=8 /]
* All deadlines are 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Note: 1st round deadline moved up about 1 week compared to last year (October 9, 2008)
Overview: For the past few years, Wharton's questions were basic and long (see 2008-09 and 2007-08 questions for a comparison), perfect for a first application since they provided such a strong foundation for other schools. No more of that. While this year's questions are still long, they are more sophisticated, nuanced, and personal. They also provide a broader range of possible answers that seem designed to reveal more of an applicants' self-awareness, motivation, sensitivity to others, flexibility, problem solving ability, and growth orientation. Interestingly, and unlike in past years, the word "leadership" appears nowhere in the essay questions.
Below are the essay questions for the Wharton MBA Class of 2012. We post the essay questions now to allow you to plan your application preparation this year. The full application, which will include questions for recommenders and other application requirements, will be available on our website in August. As you begin to think about your responses to these essay questions, remember that the Admissions Committee is interested in getting to know you on both a professional and personal level. We encourage you to be introspective, candid, and succinct. Most importantly, we suggest that you be yourself.
First-Time Applicants
Essay 1 – (750-1000 words)
As a leader in global business, Wharton is committed to sustaining “a truly global presence through its engagement in the world”. What goals are you committed to and why? How do you envision the Wharton MBA contributing to the attainment of those goals?
Analysis: Don't be misled by Wharton's "mission" statement. While having international ambitions allows you to connect to that aspect of Wharton, your goals don't have to be international in order to apply successfully. However, and this is the big difference from past years, you do have to show a personal stake in your goals, your own "personal mission" statement. This question, then, is similar to HBS's "Career Vision" question, where why you want to do something is critical to a deeper understanding of what you want to do. And while Wharton no longer asks specifically for a career summary, you should include experiences, activities and accomplishments that relate directly to your goals as evidence of your commitment. A good goals essay should already have these elements of passion and commitment. What's interesting is how Wharton has changed its straightforward "short-term, long-term" goals approach of the past (some might call it "dry") to something broader and more personal.
See also: The MBA Goals Essay and Why MBA School X?
Essay 2 – (750-1000 words)
Tell us about a time when you had to adapt by accepting/understanding the perspective of people different from yourself.
Analysis: Two years ago, Wharton asked this: "Tell us about a situation in which you were an outsider. What did you learn from the experience?" The big similarity between the two is of course the "you vs. them" dynamic, where the point is to show how you can adapt, compromise and hopefully thrive in an unfamiliar environment or situation. The difference between the two is that this year's question really doesn't allow for you "winning," i.e., imposing your outsider ways on others, an accomplishment essay in disguise. You don't necessarily have to "give up" in the face of opposition either, but at the very least you need to show openness to new ways of thinking and the willingness to think and act beyond your own assumptions and beliefs, necessary qualities for a school with a 40% international student body that is also aiming at a "global presence." From that perspective, international/intercultural experiences would make excellent topics, but so would any experience where you ended up with a broader perspective and changed for the better through your interaction with different people.
Essay 3 – (500 words)
Describe a failure that you have experienced. What role did you play, and what did you learn about yourself?
Analysis: This question has been a staple for Wharton for the past few years, and I'm not surprised they've kept it since it fits well with their new direction. The ability to judge one's own role and responsibility in a failure is paramount, as is the context of the failure itself since your same actions in a different situation might have yielded success. After all, weaknesses are often the flip-side of strengths. A standard aspect of a failure essay is to provide an example showing how you learned from your mistakes. (please see: The MBA Failure Essay) You can certainly do that within this essay. You could also use another of Wharton's essay topics to show your growth. Question 4b (below) is the most obvious choice.
Essay 4 – (500 words) Choose one of the following:
a. Give us a specific example of a time when you solved a complex problem.
Analysis: This question represents a complex problem in itself, since so many factors can complicate a problem including technical, interpersonal, situational, resource limitations, etc. Among Wharton's questions, this comes the closest to a traditional leadership essay since it has to end with a clear "win". I can imagine any number of appropriate topics, but the important thing is to choose a topic that can highlight traits such as ambition, planning, resourcefulness, creativity, flexibility, endurance, time management, negotiation, and persuasion. I would stay away from a purely technical problem, no matter its complexity, since it might be difficult for an adcom to understand, and the solution might be too narrow to apply regularly to b-school or beyond.
Telling a complex story in such a short space requires good structure. One approach is to introduce the problem and all the complicating factors in the first paragraph, and then solve each one in a separate paragraph. Include as much detail as possible when describing your solutions in order to "show" (not tell) your strengths.
Please see: The MBA Leadership Essay
b. Tell us about something significant that you have done to improve yourself, in either your professional and/or personal endeavors.
Analysis: A fairly straightforward topic that again has a strong element of self-awareness involved. Be sure to include what experience or realization started you on your self-improvement journey, the detailed actions you took (the more challenging the better), and the results, both tangible and intangible.
Essay 5 (Optional) – (250 words)
If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application).
Analysis: Wharton makes it clear that this space is for explaining weaknesses in your application. Don't make them question your judgment by trying to sneak in another accomplishment.
2009-2010 Questions – Re-Applicants
(Please note: re-applicant essays are for those who applied during the application cycle in 2007-08 or 2008-09 only. Reapplicants from 2006-07 or earlier are to complete the first-time applicant essays).
Re-Applicant Essay 1 – (1000 words)
As a leader in global business, Wharton is committed to sustaining “a truly global presence through its engagement in the world”. What goals are you committed to and why? How do you envision the Wharton MBA contributing to the attainment of those goals? How has your candidacy improved since the last time you applied?
Re-Applicant Essay 2 – (500 words)
Describe a failure that you have experienced. What role did you play, and what did you learn about yourself?
Re-Applicant Essay 3 – (500 words) Choose one of the following:
a. Give us a specific example of a time when you solved a complex problem.
b. Tell us about something significant that you have done to improve yourself, in either your professional and/or personal endeavors.
Re-Applicant Essay 4 (Optional) – (250 words)
If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application).